Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-03-12
DRIFT.

DRIFT.
HAVE recently been looking through
work that ought to be Of interest to all Amor
leans 1t IL Lucien Biart's volume on "The
Astecs: Their History, Manners and Gus.
toms" lately published In very handsome
style by A. Z. McClurg & Co., OF Chicago, .
firm that is doing some Of tho best book. max.
ing In the country. 1t 10 an excellent book
to read alongside OF wallsce's "The Fair
Cod" OF which wrote . few weeks ago. 1t |
Ia good commentary on the latter, and L
shows with what conscientious accuracy |
Gen. wAllsce constructed his novel aud /
painted all Its details
ONE cannot help being humiliated In read. |
ing such work at the thought OF how little |
We know, and how little we have cared to
know, OF the past Of our country. While |
every school boy Is drilled In the history Of
Greece aud Of Rome he is scarcely even told
that on our own continent heroes probably ~
great rs those who qusrreiled and killed each
| other before Troy were intriguing and fight.
ing In old Mexico at almost, IL not quite Rs
| early date; he studies all about the found.
| ing OF Rome on her seven hills, but knows
| nothing Of the conquest OF Nucatan by the
| Msyas at the very time when Romulus and
| Remus were yet tumbllng about their wolf.
nurse In the cave.home Of their mythical
baby hood. And while all the world Is
| eagerly watching a Schliemann unearthing
the treasures OF llion, We are lazlly content
l to leave the ruins OF ancient Mexico, the re-
| mains of Its two thousand temples, Its hun
l dred palaces, and thousands Of sumptuous
dwellings, not only unexp plored, but AZ Yet
undiscovered.
THIS, indeed, Is one Of the most puzEing
| problems connected with the ancient land OF
| the AztecA We may we'll ask, with the
| author of the book before me, To what mir.
scle is 1t owing that not fragment Of the
| walls OF the splendid palscss which II con-
| tanned Is left staudngr How have Its three
hundred towers, its marble columns, Its col
umns OF jasper and prophyry described In
such pompous words, fallen without leaving
a trace after them' Rome, sacked toy bar.
| barians, still shows its walls half crumbled
away, and its mutilated statues Without
seeking so far for exam pies, the Xapotecsees,
| the superb tombs OF Mictlan rise above the
tangled brush.wood, Choluls shows US Its
| pyramid, Palenque its bas.releis. Chicheu-
| liza its marvellous architecture. In Mexico,
younger by two centuries, there are scarcely
any traces OF the past; the modern city Is not
even built az one might suppose, with the
| time the eXcAvations-insu sufficient aud badl y
| directed, IL Is true-have yielded but q siual
number Of statues aud basreliefs The Span
iards have razsd all the buildings and pul
verized all the images. But to what wind
| have they cast this dust, so that no field Il
whitened with it, This is certainly y prob
lem. On the one side are un nanimous atli rma
| tons, on the other the absence of suiticien
| material proofs TO demonstrate To us that tn,
witnesses have observed clearly"
ie EvIpESTLY we have need of a Schliemani
to dig up Mexico. Until such an one arise
y we cannot but doubt much OF the records tha
oi tell US of the marvellous wealth and civilizi
n | ton and glory OF the Aztec empire.
b. YET, again, our doubts are put to sham
se when we find such proof positive OF the intel
r. lectual and moral enlightenment OF this won
te derful people, as Is contained In the following
ID | extracts from an old document giving tn
wise counsel Of a father to his son. A peopl
- l capable OF such sentiments was surely ais
~ capable Of all the advance In science, ar
~ architecture. government, etc, which
ed | claimed TOR it.
~ ! THE fathers words to his son are a. 10
ne lows, and give them at some length becau,
81. 1t won't hurt good many sons of Lsncast.
lse to take them to heart:
In "Happen what may, endeayor to live q
.st | upright life, ceaselessly praying God to he
lal | thee. He created thee, and to him thou b
s,, / longest He is thy father, he loves thee be
da L Ter IMAM love tnC0. l.'t tDy tnOuEuB 10
~. him, and address thy sighs to him night n
ny / day.
IN. "Revere and salute thy elders, and new
lr- i show them any sign OF contempt. Be n
t." | silent to the poor aud the unfortunate; b
ess make haste to console them with kind word
oI Honor every one, but especially thy tsth
y. and thy mother, to whom thou owest oh
U.s. dience, fear and service. 80.
her "Never mock at old men, my son, nor
OF | deformed people. Do not mock him " no
icb | thou seest commit a fault, and do not thrc
ras | it in his face. Enter into thyself, aud fe
,rs lest that which ofiends thee In others m
Ino L happen to tbyself. Go not whittier no o.
ga calls thee, and mix not thyself with WI
Dill. does not concern thee. BY thy words,
me well as by thy deeds endeavor to prove u
the good education. When thou talkest wi
NO, | any one take not hold OF his gsrmentA Do q
l talk too much, and never interrupt Othe
'no / with thy discourse. II thou nearest anyo
OF / speak foolishly, II thou art not charged wi
ON | his conduct, hold thy tongue -.
vas "When some one speaks to thee, hear hi
inc / with attention and respect, without movil
,ha thy feet, without biting thy cloak, witho
:. splitting, and without getting up every mi
" | ute IL thou art seated for these actions 9
ey. signs OF levity and OF q bad education.
,ral "When thou art at table, eat not too IA
'ies | and show no dislike II q dish dispssses tn,
ssO | II a person arrives at thy meal.time, divi
,eo thy meal with hun, and do no: watch him
lral "If fthou art made present, accept 1t W
gratitude. II the gift Is OF much value,
not pfOuQ OF II, 0uu IL u D6 Oh Small VAlu0,
not despise 1t, nor mock at II fear to wou
him who wishes 10 oblige thee. II tn
IA growest rich, become not insoient to
~. poor, and humble them not; for the &c
DIE who have refused them wealth to give 1t
thee, might grow angry and take it frt
io' thee to favor another herewith. Live by
work, for thou shalt be only the more hap
therefor.
"Never lie for It is q great sin. VIII
thou tellest anyone what has been told tn
-. | tell the simple truth, and add nothing the
:" to. SANDER no one, and be silent in regs
'he to the faults thou seest In others, II 1t In
10 | thy duty to correct them. ....
do "If thou art offered an office, think thai
ion IL to test thee, and do not accept immediate
even shouldest thou think thyse,f bet
fitted than anyone else to fill II, refuse
until thou art forced to accept; 20 wilt tt
be the more highly esteemed. Think
that o ye otfice.seekers Of too day!
/, stake from no one what Is his th
wouldst become the shame OF thy peo
when thou shOuldst be their honor, ~ Q
ward for the education they have given tn
II thou art good, thy example will confou
the wicked. BY these counsels wish to fort
thy heart Neither despise them nor for
them thy life and happiness depend
them"
IT Is almost incomprehensible how . p